The Best Cardio Workouts For Men Over 40

By Jordan Carter

Published 13:26 pm

Cardio Workouts For Men Over 40

Once you get to the grand old age of 40, there might be some things you can’t be blamed for wanting to quit. Exercising for good cardio health is not one. You are exactly at that point in life when a good routine for heart and lung health will pay off.

You have to bear in mind that heart disease is still the leading killer of men in the United States, claiming more than 325,000 deaths each year. Following a good workout routine can save you from experiencing several health complications, and of course, it’ll keep you going another 40 years. Thankfully, you really don’t have to sign up for an Ironman to enjoy an iron-clad ticker, as a good cardio workout is all you need to stay fit. So, dig deep now and keep at the workouts and have years of good health ahead of you enjoying the benefit. To help you along here are some truly effective cardio workouts for the over 40 men.

The Interval ‘Small Climb Endurance’ Workout

The interval small climb endurance workout is a 21- minute workout routine carried out on the treadmill. It is a very effective routine for toning lower body and strengthening leg and abdominal muscles. It increases the amount of lactic acid in your legs and improves your bone density. Along with improving your overall fitness, this interval small climb endurance workout helps prevent various diseases especially those related to heart and blood pressure. It keeps the heart healthy and regulates blood pressure building stamina and strengthening muscles.

Begin with a warm-up walk on your treadmill followed by a two minute 2 % inclined run at the speed of 5 to 7 mph.

Continue running for 2 minutes at 2 % incline but increase the speed to 7-9 mph.

Now increase incline to 6% and run for 2 minutes at 5 to 7 mph.

Continue running for another 30 seconds but now at 2 % incline but at the same speed of 5-7 mph.

Finally, run for 30 minutes sprint with maximum effort at 2 % incline.

Repeat three sets of this treadmill routine with a one-minute interval between each set.

The ‘Chlorine For Breakfast’ Workout

Chlorine for breakfast is a swimming regime using kickboards. Yes, you read it right. Chlorine for breakfast uses the same kickboards used to train kids in large pools.

Swimming is a total body workout and has numerous health benefits. It is comparatively easier workout that is fun to do and doesn’t even feel like working out. Swimming involves the movement of all muscles of the body to yield the same benefits as hardcore running. It strengthens muscles and improves the heart and lung function. It also trains the body for efficient utilization of oxygen and improves breathing rate. So prepare your swimming trunks and swimming goggles and read on.

For this workout:

Begin with a 200-yard warm-up lap.

Now perform 4 sets of 50 kickboard kicks with 10 seconds interval between each set.

The ‘Crew HIIT’ Workout

The HIIT also known as High-Intensity Interval Training involves rowing exercises with multiple variations. It is a fast fat burning workout that strengthens arm and shoulder muscles as well as the muscles of the chest trunk.

Crew HIIT is a combination of rowing (check out these rowing machines), burpees and kettlebell swing which makes it an excellent workout and involves all the muscles of the body.

For this workout

First, perform 60 seconds row – all out

Then perform burpees for 1 minute

Finally, perform 60 seconds alternating one arm kettlebell swing

Repeat five sets of the above exercise with 60 minutes interval between each set

The Cycling Workout

Cycling is a traditional workout and is well known for not only its health benefits but also for the fun and excitement associated with it. It is one of the best cardio exercises for people of all ages and especially benefits people over 40 years, assisting them in maintaining their fitness level.

Cycling involves the lower body muscles and particularly strengthens leg muscles. It also improves cardiac health and helps regulate blood pressure along with increasing overall stamina. The first and the most important demand for this exercise is to get the best exercise bike or assault bike for your fitness level and with the correct alignments. Improper alignments may lead injury in the bones and joints rendering your workout more hazardous than beneficial.

The recommended duration for people over 40 years is 60 minutes of cycling on a linear plane with several sprints of 10 to 30 seconds duration. You can further increase your duration to 90 minutes once your stamina gets better with time.

The ‘Treadmill Pyramid’ Workout

Treadmill pyramid is another variant of classical treadmill workout and is effective particularly for boosting the metabolism of the body. It stimulates the energy level and positively affects the overall efficiency of the person. It is a combo exercise regime with fluctuating intense and slow walking in close succession.

Initiate your workout with a slow five-minute warm-up walk.

Run for half a minute at the speed of 5-7 mph then 1 more at an increased speed of 2 mph

Now add 2 more mph to your speed and continue running for next minute and a half.

Decrease speed by 1 or 2 mph while jogging for about 1 and a half minute to 2 minutes.

Further, decrease speed by 2mph and return back to the initial slow paced jogging and walk for the next 2 minutes.

Perform a five minute warm up walking and then take a short rest before repeating again

The ‘Hill Climbing’ Workout

Hill climbing is another effective workout for men above 40 years and is intense too. For this workout, also known as hill repeats, all you need is a treacherous hill and the willpower to do the exercise. A quarter mile hill is ideal.

Begin with a warm-up jog on a non-inclined plane.

Then climb up the hill in a sprint.

Now climb down the hill while jogging mildly.

Rest for 60 seconds and then repeat.

Begin with at least 4 sets per day and increase gradually up to 8 sets each day.

In the end, jog lightly for the next five to ten minutes on flat ground.

Ladder Workout

Ladder workout is quite intense and needs prior built stamina to carry out effectively.

One lap of this workout is of 400 miles and it consists of 4 laps in each mile.

In this workout, you have to climb the ladder progressively till you reach 400 meters that is one lap.

Take a rest for 90 seconds and then progress towards the second lap and continue till you reach 800 meters.

Again take rest and climb up to 1200 meters that is the third lap.

Take rest and climb up to complete your one mile that is 1600 meters.

Now climb down the ladder.

Overhead Squat

The overhead squat is another effective workout and it is quick too. You can do it on a squat rack too.

Walking Lunge

Walking lunges are a variant of classical lunges where you perform lunges while moving forward in each lunge instead of performing it at one place.

An ideal workout may include 2 sets of 15 repetitions.

Medicine Ball Woodchop

For this workout:

Move your feet more than shoulder width apart

Hold the medicine ball with both hands. Bring the ball to your left side till your waist length.

Carry it to the top and hold for a few seconds.

Now lower the ball to waist length on right side.

Perform 4 sets of 15 reps each.

Pistol Squat

Pistol squat is a variant of classical squats. The only difference is that you perform the squat with only one leg while keeping the other leg parallel to the floor. An ideal workout may include 2 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Another Effective Cardio Workout With Weights

While you can certainly pick exercises mentioned already to give your heart a nice pump, you can try the following workout and see how it benefits you in the long run. You need to perform this workout thrice a week, but be sure to start slow and add more weight after some time. It is okay to start with just the bar and a pair of 20-pound dumbbells. Here’s how to proceed:

The first exercise should be the box squats. You should be performing five sets with five reps per set. These forced position squats prove more effective than the traditional squats because they require you to control the hinge movement carefully.

The next in line is front squat. Again, aim for five sets of five reps per set. The exercise is effective because it requires you to keep your torso upright while sticking to the normal range of motion. It supports your cardiovascular health and improves athleticism as well.

The next one is good old deadlift. Use a barbell and performs five sets with five reps per set. Be sure to keep your back stable while performing the hip hinge. Mastering the move will improve athleticism and gives you the strength and ability to perform many natural movements throughout the day.

The extremely popular shoulder press is also there in this workout. Be sure to go for the standing press, as it improves competency overhead and helps you stabilize your trunk underweight. Aim for five sets of five reps each.

Lastly, you need to perform bench presses, another compound movement that offers many benefits along with improving your cardiovascular health. It is just like performing certain movements while rowing and swimming, especially when you take your shoulders into extension.

Conclusion

Whether you go for the lunges, the squats or the formidable ladder workout, you’ll be giving your heart and lungs a good workout but your entire body and all its systems will benefit in one way or another. If you plan on sticking around for another 40 years, a few minutes a day right now will set you on the right path for good all-round health just when you’ll need the most. So, don’t wait until tomorrow; pick a workout and do it right from today!